Escape filter devices, such as fire escape hoods, are respirators dependent on circulating air that are used especially for self-rescuing against such toxic gases as, for example, against carbon monoxide. I.e., escape filter devices are used, for example, for the escape of persons from burning buildings. In this connection, escape filter devices, such as fire escape hoods, can be installed in buildings, so-called stationary escape filter devices, or they are carried along by firefighters for evacuating persons, so-called carry-along escape filter devices. Unlike compressed-air-operated respirators, an escape filter device does not, however, protect against oxygen deficiency in the ambient air.
Stationary escape filter devices have a hood and a filter integrated into the hood. A catalytic filter is used for the protective action against carbon monoxide (CO). To ensure that the filter of an escape filter device is usable, this filter must be protected before the mission against atmospheric oxygen and mechanical stresses before its intended use.
The reason for a vacuum-tight closing of the filter is Hopcalite. This chemical catalyst essentially provides for the filter performance. At room temperature, Hopcalite catalyzes the oxidation of toxic carbon monoxide with oxygen into comparatively harmless carbon dioxide. Since Hopcalite reacts in conjunction with air, the filter must, in order to maintain its separation performance, be closed in an airtight manner. Almost all manufacturers of escape filter devices solve the problem to the effect that they weld the entire escape filter device or the complete escape hood in a vacuum-tight manner in a barrier layer bag, usually an aluminum barrier layer bag. After the barrier layer bag was removed from a hard or soft device shell, the barrier layer bag must be torn open manually by hand, usually at a predetermined marking.
As an alternative to barrier layer bags, it is possible to directly close only the filter, i.e., the filter inlet side and the filter outlet side, each by means of a closing system, especially a plug and thus to make a welding superfluous. If these closing systems are removed, the filter is activated and a chemical process is started in the Hopcalite, which cannot be stopped. An unintentional activation of the filter must be avoided here. In such escape filter devices, the closing systems, especially the filter plugs, are manually pulled from the filter inlet side and filter outlet side by means of a fabric strap or two fabric straps. The drawback in this case is that the user of such an escape filter device must know where and how he must grasp and pull the at least one fabric strap. If the user does not know what the rule is, valuable time can be lost in the case of use, for example, in the case of fire. The user would have to first read instructions and explanations in order to use the escape filter device correctly. If the instructions and explanations are in a language that the user does not know, it may happen that the user cannot use the escape filter device at all.
Both means for accomplishing the prior-art escape filter devices require the manual intervention of the user and are consequently susceptible to an inappropriate use.